What is some of the worst news you could hear? How about “The diagnosis is CANCER ” This news is heartbreaking to anyone, and our pets can get cancer too. Make sure you have all the right information and knowledge about your dog or cat’s cancer to help you make better decisions for your family.
Where to get information about your pet’s cancer?
But how do you get this information? Dr. Google? Social media groups? Friends and family? Honestly, all these options may be well intentioned, but they do not have the answers. First, you should see your veterinarian. They have advanced degrees, so that they know how to help treat animals. They are a great resource and the first one.
Secondly, you should see a board-certified veterinarian oncologist. This is a veterinarian who has even more advanced knowledge about cancer. It takes an additional four years after vet school to become an oncologist. Even then, there are still lots of tests and other hoops to jump through before someone can call themselves a board-certified oncologist. These are the people with all the information about your pet’s cancer.
Cancer is not all the same
Cancer is not just one disease. It is several. Cancer does not all behave the same. Some cancers can be treated with surgery. Some can be treated with radiation therapy, and some with chemotherapy. You need to have all the knowledge to know what makes sense for your dog or cat and family.
What about tests? You will hear all about different tests that can and should be done. This also depends on the type of tumor/cancer. Imaging with x-rays and ultrasound or even CT scans are needed to determine if there is cancer anywhere else in the body. A veterinarian oncologist can help guide you through which tests are needed and why.
Treatment for pets is better tolerated than in people
Did you know that animals tolerate chemotherapy much better than people? It’s true. Pets do so much better and there are several reasons for this. Also, did you know that there are pill options for treatment? This can be a much more manageable choice for many people since they can do it at home and then be seen for regular checkups. It is important to know what are the best treatment options and what type of treatments are needed. Let a veterinary oncologist guide you through this process. You will also learn about all the potential side effects and safe handling of these therapies.
Find a board-certified veterinary oncologist
Now finding a veterinary oncologist can sometimes be difficult. It is estimated that about six million dogs get cancer every year, but there are only about 450 board-certified veterinary oncologists in the USA and Canada. That means there are a lot of pet cancers which never see the oncologist. Pet Cancer Care Consulting is trying to change that. We are trying to increase the access to veterinary oncology, so that more people can have the knowledge about their pet’s cancer and options to treat it. We partner with family veterinarians so the oncologist can consult with both the veterinarian and the pet owner to give all the necessary information and guidance for therapy. This is a simple and easy process which can be done from the family vet’s office or even at home. Pet Cancer Care Consulting has lots of information on how this process works, and they would love to hear from you. Increased access to care, is better care for our pets. Let’s give our pets the care they deserve!
